Whatever Cagalli Wants
by Eloradenin of the Wolves
Summary: Gundam Seed set in a different world where royalty exists. Cagalli has been asked by Kira to be a companion to lady Lacus who is to marry prince Athrun soon. In the meantime Cagalli has another task, to take down prissy Flay. T for slight language, etc.


"Are you sure this is the right place?" I ask the carriage driver for the fifth time while simply staring at the small cottage in disgust and bewilderment.

"Yes m'lady this is the right address." The driver sighed yet again as he and his assistant continued to unload her baggage from the interior of the carriage.

I shake my head again and glare at the simple stone walls of the too small cottage. It's just too dingy and unkempt to be the right place. I turn to ask the question again but the driver cuts me off.

"Just knock on the door why don't you. Your brother is expecting you after all, is he not?"

I sigh and walk up the cracked stone path to the cottage door and bang the dingy brass knocker.

"Coming!" a voice shouts from inside and my stomach plummets in defeat when I recognize it as my brother's.

The door is opened a few moments later and before I can say anything, strong but gentle arms sweep me into a crushing hug.

"Cagalli! I'm so happy you made it safely!"

I manage to pry away from his grip enough to look into his face.

"Kira you're crushing me." I gasp.

"Sorry!" he exclaims in concern and lets go.

I stagger on the doorstep, a bit winded from his embrace. He always has been the more emotional twin, but I guess I had hoped that the 7 years in service would have lessened that a bit. Apparently I was mistaken. He seems to be as open with his feelings as always.

After just standing looking at his smiling face for a few moments I finally decide to pose the questions that have been weighing on my mind for awhile.

"Kira why am I here?"

His breath catches a bit and he tries to keep his smile but I can see that it's taking a great effort. This is surprising from Kira. Happy, content, carefree Kira. I'm concerned as to what could possibly be forcing him to fake a smile.

"Well you see…" he begins rubbing his head nervously, "The reason we're in this cottage and not in my old house is because…I kinda burned it down last month and they haven't finished repairing it."

I gape at him.

"You burnt your house down?"

Kira laughs sheepishly and blushes.

"Yeah…it was a stupid accident but…well…"

I sigh and flick his forehead.

"Idiot."

"Ow" he complains rubbing the spot where I flicked him, "What was that for."  
"I told you, because you're an idiot."

Kira sighs and nods

"Yeah I guess I am."

I look at him and sigh again.

"So how long until your house is repaired and we can move in there?"

Kira shakes his head.

"Another month at least."

I sigh in exasperation.

"How can you expect me to live here? In this…" I gesture my hand at the cottage and the unkempt garden.

Kira sighs.

"It's only for a moth Li." He says tiredly, using the nickname he gave me when we were kids.

I'm beginning to get annoyed.

"Ra I don't care if it was only for a day! A princess should not live in…a cottage!" I spit out the last word with as much contempt as I can muster.

"Since when do you care about stuff like that Li?" Kira asks in surprise, "The Li I knew was a total tomboy who shirked all her princess duties and didn't care what anyone thought of her."

I sigh.

"I grew up Kira, but it appears that you haven't."

Kira sighs and rubs his forehead again.

"I guess I haven't that much."

There's something in his movements that hints that something is wrong besides the house.

"Kira what's wrong?" I ask.

Kira looks at me in surprise and I can tell that he is forcing his smile again.

"Nothing is wrong Li, I'm just a little tired."

I look straight into his eyes and find what I was looking for. The tiny flicked of blue that appears in his otherwise light violet eyes when he lies.

"Kira seriously what is it?"

He sighs and takes my hands pulling me into the cottage.

"I can't tell you outside. You'll have to come in whether you like it or not."

I growl in annoyance but allow him to pull me into the cottage and through a tiny entry room into a small sitting room.

"M'lady where would you like your luggage?" my driver calls out after us. 

"Just leave it by the front door and I'll get it later." Kira calls out to them before I can respond.

"Very good sir." The driver calls out and then after a long pause and a lot of banging and clattering, "There is still the matter of payment sir."

Kira sighs and leaves me in the sitting room. In the quiet of the room I can hear the exchange of light pleasantries happening in the entryway and the sound of coins being dropped into a collecting purse before the door closes with a soft click.

I take some time to look around the room where I will be forced to sit and try and pass good portions of my day. It could be considered a pleasant enough sitting room with light cream wallpaper and pleasant flower patterned rugs on the floor. The couch was light beige and sported pillows that were also flower patterned. A small cuckoo clock was placed above a tiny fireplace that most likely warmed the cottage in winter.

"Is it at least acceptable?" Kira asks hopefully as he enters the room again disturbing my visual investigation.

"It's descent." I say at last, accepting the cup of tea he offers me.

He sits down beside me on the couch and sighs again.

"So what is the matter Kira?" I ask after a few sips of tea, "Your letter didn't explain anything other than that I was needed at the Zala palace."

Kira sighs again and nods.

"That much is true."

He stands up and walks to the fireplace lifting a poker and running it over the nonexistent ashes.

"The prince is to be married soon."

"Athrun?" I ask in surprise, "But he's the same age as us!"

"Actually he's a year older." Kira says with his usual unconcerned smile.

"Oh same thing." I grumble taking another sip of tea, "It's still too young to be married."

Kira shakes his head.

"Not for a soon to be king."

I gape at him.

"King?"

Kira sighs and runs his hand through his hair.

"King Patrick was gravely wounded in the battle against the Hetra Alliance. The royal physicians give him till the end of this week to live."

My hands are shaking as I lift the teacup to my lips again.

"Perhaps we have made a mistake staying out of this war."

Kira shakes his head.

"Orb must stay out of the conflict for as long as it can. For yours and your father's sake."

I drop my eyes to my knees shaking.

"So this is what has been bothering you. But I still don't know what you need me here for."

Kira drops the poker and comes back over to sit next to me.

"That's only the half of what is going on Li. The main reason I called you here was to be a companion to Athrun's fiancé, the lady Lacus Klyne."

I choke on the tea.

"You want me to be a companion to Athrun's fiancé? Someone I've never met? I've never even met Athrun! Why should I do this for him?"

Kira takes my hands.

"Li you're not doing this for Athrun. You're doing it for me. Please just at least come with me tomorrow and meet them before you completely reject the proposal?"

I sigh looking at his hands holding mine. It's been 7 years since we've seen each other, since we've been able to touch each other, to comfort each other. And before that we had only met each other when we were 6 because we had been separated at birth and adopted by different families. I don't want to lose Kira again just because of my stubborn pride.

"All right." I say at last squeezing his hands, "I'll come with you tomorrow to meet them, but I'm not making any promises."

Kira smiles and pulls me into a hug.

"Thank you Li. I hope that that will help solve my other problem as well."

I pull away from him.

"What other problem?"

He sighs and whispers a name under his breath that I can barely hear.

"Flay."

I stare at him.

"What is Flay?"

He shakes his head.

"She's a who not a what." He gets up again and goes around the couch wringing his hands in frustration, "Flay Alistar is the person that caused this whole war."

I gape at him for probably the 10th time since my arrival.

"A single girl caused the whole Bloody Valentine War?"

Kira nods.

"You could say that. Flay Alistar was the daughter of a very powerful Duke in Hetra. She was kidnapped from her carriage while she was passing through Zaft territory four months ago. The entire palace guard tried to find her and her captors but they never did until just a week ago. She was discovered along with another girl of a less well known family, Miriallia Haw. Her father runs a very profitable trade organization in Hetra. To our relief they hadn't been too badly treated and we actually found them after they had managed to escape. Of course as you know the Bloody Valentine War had been going on for months before they were found so it was too late for them to do any good. Currently they are being considered hostages to be used for bargaining if things get too bad."

I shake my head.

"I didn't realize things here had gotten that complicated. Your letter didn't say anything about that."

"I sent the letter two days before they were found so I didn't know anything about it at the time."

"Athrun didn't tell you?" I ask, surprised that the young prince, and Kira's best friend, hadn't told him anything about what was going on.

"Athrun has enough problems to deal with without having to worry about telling me them." Kira sais simply leaning against the wall.

I thought about all he had told me and two things stuck out to me.

"You said she was the daughter of a powerful duke. Why was?"

Kira blinked and rubbed his neck.

"He was killed in the same battle where King Patrick was wounded. He was the one that struck the blow. It's only natural that the king's guard killed him."

I cover my mouth with my hands.

"Kira you didn't have to…?" I can't finish my sentence but he shakes his head.

"Athrun knows how I feel about fighting so he's kept me out of most of the battles except when I am absolutely needed."

I nod in understanding and relief.

After a few seconds of silence and a few more tentative sips of tea I ask the final thing weighing on my mind.

"What is Flay doing to cause you problems?"

That gets his attention and he turns to face me his eyes going wide and his lips turning down in a frown.

"She won't leave me alone."

I stare at him in confusion.

"What?"

"She won't leave me alone." He repeats, "She keeps following me around wherever I go. She's like a dog."

"She's a bitch?" I ask laughing at the pun.

"In more ways than one." He groans, "She acts all high and mighty around the other girls and I'm afraid that she might offend Lacus and cause her to leave. But since she is a hostage she gets more freedom than if she was a prisoner of war. Provided there is a member of the palace with her at all times she can go about as she pleases. Unfortunately, that member of the palace is usually me, since she always seems to find me and drag me off with her before I can get around to my actually duties. I haven't seen Athrun in five days because she refuses to see him and if I try to leave her to see him she threatens to report my carelessness to the palace guard and have me demoted or worse punished."

"She really is a bitch!" I exclaim, "Leave her to me Kira. She may think she's all that and the queen of the palace but I'll soon show her that two can play at that game."

I finish this statement with a wink before stretching and getting off the couch.

"Now if you'll excuse me I have to lie down. I haven't slept properly since I left Orb's palace two days ago."

As I pass by Kira I lay a hand on his shoulder.

"It will be all right Ra. I promise I will help you take care of your little dog problem."

He nods gratefully and watches me head into the open room near the back of the cottage.

Once inside the room I collapse on the bed and feel myself slipping away into much needed sleep.


End file.
